


looking for the next dream

by justsleepwalkin



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Campaign 2, Canon-Typical Behavior, Coda, Ensemble Cast, Episode Related, F/M, Found Family, Friendship, Gen, Implied Relationships, Mighty Nein as Family, Spoilers, c2e126
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 04:48:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29553774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justsleepwalkin/pseuds/justsleepwalkin
Summary: Those left outside the tower.
Relationships: Fjord/Jester Lavorre, Jester Lavorre & The Mighty Nein
Comments: 2
Kudos: 65





	looking for the next dream

> You're looking for the next thing  
>  Looking for the next dream  
>  Looking for life  
>  You're looking for the next thing  
>  Looking for the next dream  
>  Looking for, looking for life  
>  [♫](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fJYsqd3J40) Rear View by LANKS

-

“Caleb, why,” Jester says, staring where the closed door had been, before tossing her head around to stare at their wizard.

“Time,” he replies. “We're lacking that, Jester. Beau wanted to do this for Yasha. I wanted to allow it. And I thought...” He looks briefly to Caduceus. “We were teleporting away from this particular spot.” 

“But we could have found somewhere _nice_ after we changed plans and _then_ you could have made them the tower.”

Caleb shrugs a shoulder and starts to unwind his bedroll from his supplies. 

“Artie thinks I'm slumming it.”

“You are slumming it, Jester,” Veth tells her, but she dances forward and links both her arms with one of Jester's. She leans up, chin resting along Jester's elbow, and whispers, “If you want you can get a second room and bone Fjord.” 

Jester blushes and pushes a hand down at Veth's forehead. “N-Noooo that's okay, thanks, Veth,” she hisses back. Louder, she says, “So, slumber party, am I right?”

“No fireplace this time,” Caduceus says, “but I can make us some tea.” 

“Are you that put out?” Fjord asks Jester.

Jester blushes _more_ before she realizes that Fjord hadn't overheard her conversation with Veth and realizes he means about not having the tower and being in this room. “No!” she exclaims, maybe a bit pitched too high. “We've slept in worst places with the dome, at least we're not in the snow and ice! And I'm glad for our friends, I want them to have a good time. It's okay, really, I was just surprised.” 

Fjord smiles, small, and Jester matches it. 

More bedrolls come out, fanning out around where the doorway had been visible previously, like some unspoken need to keep their friends included in their night. Caduceus has a steaming pot set on the floor space in the middle and is getting to work on pouring cups. 

Jester lays out on her front, legs kicking behind her, Fjord's bedroll besides her, and he has his hands held up, fingers counting off her words as she Sends a message to Veth's family, and then to her mom and the Gentleman, and another to Essek. The responses are varying degrees of anxiety and she worries her lip a bit from that last response. 

She knows they brought more on Essek than they had meant to, but it honestly hadn't crossed their minds with everything _else_ going on.

It's fine, it's fine, it'll all work out—it's what she has to tell herself. 

She looks across the way to Caleb.

It'll all work out. 

“Is there some _sign_ we can get if you're having any of your weird eye dreams?” Jester asks him. “I mean what... there's... there's gotta be _some_ way to stop it.”

“I don't know, Jester,” Caleb answers. “I don't know anything.”

She can see how much those words stab into him. She's torn between pressing more or backing off, not wanting to drive that pain further. 

“We have this time to ourselves,” Caduceus interrupts. “It might be the only time we get, as we're stuck waiting, hopeful, for your friend to come through.” He passes out the cups, one at a time, making eye contact with each of them as he infuses warmth from more than just the tea. “I know we have plans to make. I know there's... a lot of... foreboding.” He looks down into his tea. “But Yasha and Beau are finding some peace. We should find our own.”

“Like what?” Fjord asks. 

“Ohhhh like stories?” Jester asks, eyes bright. 

“Okay, okay, this needs _ambiance_ ,” Veth announces, rolling free of her bedroll enough to sit up to pull the square of fleece from a pocket and whisper her incantation before reaching out to the space between them all. 

Caduceus' teapot is engulfed by the Silent Image of a campfire.

Proud, Veth nuzzles back into her comfort. “There.”

“Well,” Caleb says, “I did pick up an old Zemnian fairytale book today.”

“Ugh, but it'll be in Zemnian again,” Jester laments.

Caleb smiles. “You know I'll translate it.”

She smiles back and heaves her haversack over her back and pulls out some of her new pastries. 

“Before bed?” Fjord jokes.

“Always!” Jester exclaims. “Morning, afternoon, dinner. The best! Besides, I don't have marshmallows and this isn't a real fire anyway.” 

Caleb reaches up a hand and through his arcane means, dims the candlelight to add to Veth's “ambiance” as the Nein settle in, and find their own peace as he takes out his book and begins to read.

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted some soft interactions for what was going on with the rest of the crew.


End file.
